Human beings and other living organisms often require treatment which includes constant monitoring of bodily functions or characteristics, such as blood flow rate (BFR), blood pressure (BP), pulse, electrocardiograms (ECG), respiration cycles, and body temperature. Monitoring of these functions and characteristics takes on special importance when the life of the organism is maintained, at least in part, by a life support system. Common life support systems include, for example, artificial respirators and artificial hearts. These life support systems provide numerous informational outputs describing the condition of the organism to which they are connected. Such outputs may indicate, for example, blood flow rate, blood pressure, heart beat, electrocardiograms, respiration cycles, and body temperature.
Different characteristics and functions may be of special importance depending upon the purpose of the treatment. For example, if the life support system is an artificial heart driver and monitor, blood flow rate has particular importance. It must be constantly monitored to detect any irregularities in the operation of the driver.
Prior art devices provide their data at the treatment site in a form requiring considerable medical expertise and substantial knowledge about the medical apparatus. Therefore, persons with this knowledge typically must constantly monitor the life support system. The requirement that a skilled person must monitor the system or device at the treatment site increases medical costs and tires these workers, thus reducing their efficiency.